Chapter 234: To Save The Academy

Dust still hung in the air.

The battlefield was silent except for the faint crackling of dying embers.

In one corner—

Selene’s fingers twitched.

Then—

Her eyes opened.

She inhaled sharply.

Air filled her lungs again.

Jax froze.

For half a second he didn’t move — as if afraid it was another illusion.

Then he saw her eyes focusing.

“Selene…?”

She looked up at him weakly.

“Jax…”

That was enough.

He pulled her into a tight embrace.

“You’re alive…! You’re alive!!!”

Tears streamed down his face again — but this time from relief.

Selene’s cheeks flushed faintly as she leaned against him.

“Jax…”

—

Across the ruined courtyard—

The dust finally cleared completely.

Varak lay on the ground.

His body was unrecognizable.

Deep cuts carved across his torso. His skin was charred black and cracked. His hair had burned away. His left arm was still frozen and ruined. His eyes were rolled white.

He was a corpse.

Nearby—

Ron and Lia lay on the ground, still holding hands unconsciously.

They were both breathing heavily.

Lia’s body was covered in deep cuts — her own wind aura having sliced her as she pushed past her limits. Her face, arms, even her eyelids bore thick crimson lines.Her face feel unrecognizable.

Ron’s upper body was mostly burned. His clothes were gone from the waist up, fabric reduced to ash. His skin was blistered and blackened in places. Even his boots were charred.

They looked terrible.

But they knew.

They had won.

Ding.

William popped into view.

“Congratulations, guys! Selene is alright!”

Ron and Lia turned their heads weakly and smiled at each othet and then toward Jax and Selene.

William floated slightly higher.

“And as for you two — since revival required combining second and third rewards, a portion of your restoration had to be redirected. Therefore…”

A system window appeared before Ron and Lia.

Reward: Medium-Level Healing Granted.

“Your wounds will be healed, but stamina will not be restored.”

Warm vitality rushed through their bodies.

The cuts across Lia’s skin began closing one by one. The bleeding stopped. The red lines faded.

Ron’s burns began cooling and peeling away, revealing raw but healed skin beneath.

Across the field, Jax’s battered body also began repairing itself.

Even Maera and Drevin — though unconscious — received healing. Their broken bones mended. Their breathing stabilized.

After several seconds—

The glow faded.

The healing stopped.

Ron slowly pushed himself upright.

Lia stood as well — though her dress was heavily torn, revealing portions of her figure through ripped fabric. Ron’s upper body was completely exposed, the remains of his clothing burned away.

They didn’t care.

Lia rushed toward Jax and Selene.

“Selene! You’re alright?!”

Selene nodded softly from Jax’s lap.

“Yes… thanks to you both.”

Ron came just after Lia.

Jax looked at them sincerely.

“You guys… you really risked everything.”

Ron smirked lightly.

“That aside… Jax. You didn’t move an inch from Selene.”

Jax froze.

“And I clearly heard ’my Selene..please don’t die.’ ”

Jax’s face turned red instantly.

“I— that— shut up—!”

Selene smiled gently at him.

Then she glanced at Ron and Lia.

“Enough about us. You two are quite open now holding hands in front of us .”

Jax immediately seized the opportunity.

“Yeah. I noticed that too.”

Ron and Lia suddenly realized they were still holding hands.

They released instantly.

Both faces flushed red.

For a moment—

All four of them laughed.

But Ron’s expression slowly turned serious again.

“It’s not over. We still need to head to the girls’ residence.”

The mood shifted.

They nodded.

Maera and Drevin were still unconscious but healed.

“I’ll take Maera,” Lia said, lifting the beastwoman carefully over her shoulder.

“I’ll carry Drevin,” Jax said, standing up. “Even though I don’t like carrying dudes.”

Ron snorted faintly.

They began walking.

Then—

A pulse of sinister and corrupted mana.

They froze.

Slowly—

They turned.

Varak’s burned body moved.

He was burned and mangled.

Hairless.

His skin was cracking.

Yet—

He stood up.

Corrupted mana wrapped around him unnaturally, holding his ruined body together.

“Kekekekeke…!”

His voice sounded distorted.

“Little mutts…! As you can see I am not dead yet!!!”

“But you all soon will be.”

All of them instantly dropped into defensive stance.

Varak’s white eyes twitched violently.

“But I must adm—”

WHAM.

A blur of milky green mana.

A single kick.

Varak’s burned head separated from his body and flew through the air.

It landed with a dull thud several meters away.

His body collapsed.

Silence.

They stared with sudden shock.

Standing behind them—

Seris Velmira.

Parts of her armor were burned and torn. Small wounds marked her face. Her gauntlets still crackled faintly.

She looked at them sharply.

“Students. What are you doing here?”

Jax blinked.

“You’re the professor who stays beside the Vice Chairman—”

Selene nudged him weakly.

“She’s Professor Seris.”

“Right. Professor Seris.”

Ron stepped forward.

“Due to circumstances… we were here. But we’re heading toward the girls’ residence now.”

Seris nodded once.

Her gaze shifted to the headless corpse.

In her mind—

That guy was mid 5-Star Warrior.

Looking at their age..

These students seems to be first years.

Aside from mage girl who is low 4 circle Mage.

The rest are peak 3-Star Warriors.

And the unconscious boy — low 3-Star.

And they did this.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

Which class are they from?

“Which class are you all from?”

Ron answered calmly.

“Class Caelis, Professor.”

Seris’ eyes flickered.

That was Professor Zane’s class.

Of course.

They are quite ahead of the others.

Perhaps…

My plan could work.

She looked at them again.

“Who among you is the most nimble?”

Lia raised her hand without hesitation.

“I am, Professor.”

Seris looked at Lia for a long second.

Then she nodded slowly.

“Then my plan could work.”

Her gaze sharpened.

“What is your name?”

Lia straightened instinctively. “My name is Lia Isolde.”

Seris froze for a fraction of a second.

“…Isolde?”

Her eyes narrowed.

“Second Princess of Thesmeris Kingdom?”

A bead of sweat rolled down Lia’s temple.

“…Yes.”

Seris closed her eyes and facepalmed lightly.

“Of all the students…”

She exhaled.

“Then I’ll have to find someone else.”

Lia immediately stepped forward.

“Professor, at least tell me what to do.”

Seris opened her eyes again. The urgency in them returned.

“Listen carefully.”

She gestured toward the smoking academy grounds.

“Our academy is under attack by an organization called the Vassel.”

Ron nodded. “Yes, Professor. That guy said something similar. Something about ’true masters of the world.’”

Seris’ eyes flickered in surprise at that detail—but she continued.

“Yes. The situation is critical. Chairman Caelum and Vice-Chairman Lucen are absent. Professor Aldren is currently acting as Vice-Chairman.”

Her jaw tightened slightly.

“He is fighting two warriors of his own caliber simultaneously.”

The weight of that statement sank in.

“I do not believe he can hold them for long.”

Silence fell among the students.

Seris continued, voice steady but urgent.

“We can turn the tide if Chairman Caelum Lysander and Vice-Chairman Lucen Merrith return. If they rejoin the battlefield, we can completely overwhelm the Vassel forces.”

She then looked directly at Lia.

“But you are royalty from Thesmeris. And the boy next to you—”

Her gaze shifted to Ron.

“—is the Second Prince of Glimmereach Kingdom, that’s why we have to keep you safe.”

Ron stiffened slightly, then nodded once.

Another bead of sweat formed at his temple.

Behind them, Jax leaned slightly toward Selene and muttered quietly, “Looking at situation haven’t they done a pretty bad job at keeping royalty safe?”

Selene nudged him gently. “Shhh.”

Lia stepped forward firmly.

“Professor.”

Her voice was steady.

“This academy is more home to us than our kingdoms.”

Her pink eyes did not waver.

“Whatever it takes to save my academy, I will do it.”

Seris studied her.

For a moment, the professor’s stern expression softened.

Then it hardened again.

Selene, still leaning lightly on Jax for support, seemed to think through something quickly. She sighed quietly… then nodded.

Seris finally spoke.

“…Very well.”

She looked at all of them.

“Then listen to my plan.”

Seris took a breath and began explaining quickly.

“When the enemy attacked, they deployed a large-scale invisble barrier around the academy. No one inside can leave.”

The group stiffened.

“If someone tries to forcefully break through it,” she continued, “it will alert the barrier’s creator. A teacher already attempted escape. He reported that the barrier reacts differently depending on strength.”

She looked directly at Ron and Lia.

“The stronger the individual trying to escape, the more resistant the barrier becomes.”

Ron frowned. “So stronger the person harder it is to leave assuming if the person isn’t overwhelming strong .”

“Correct,” Seris said. “Which means sending someone powerful is useless and that’s why I or any professor can’t go.”

She stepped slightly closer to Lia.

“That is why I need someone weaker but quick on feet.”

Ron’s expression tightened.

“But if Lia escapes… won’t the Vassel guys send a strong guy to chase her?”

Seris shook her head.

“They won’t or rather they can’t because the barrier applies to everyone equally .”

She looked toward the outer walls of the academy.

“They cannot send anyone significantly stronger after her. The same barrier condition applies to them.”

Selene understood immediately. “So if someone of her level escapes, only someone of similar level can follow.”

“Exactly.”

Seris looked back at Lia.

“You really want to do this?”

There was no hesitation on her face.

Lia nodded.

“Yes, Professor.”

Her voice was steady.

“I’ll do it.”

And the battlefield felt like it held its breath again.

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